I moved to the U.S. a year ago. Although I had a good life in my country, I still decided to move because I had broken up with my former girlfriend. I couldn’t stay in my hometown because that place had too many sad memories of her. I wanted to move as far away as possible, so I just packed several clothes and two phones and moved to the U.S. I got a phone from my former girlfriend because my own phone couldn’t play some games, so she gave me her used phone. The phone is a gold iPhone five. She didn’t delete any of her information on the phone, like photos and videos, so I often watched them when I first moved here. In the beginning, one video in particular made me cry. It was filmed by her friend and in it she explained why she wished her friend would have happiness because her friend would get married. My tears fell down because I felt a pain from my heart when I saw it in the past. I really missed her, but I knew I should move on. I tried to focus more attention on my studies and work. In this colorful land, I saw a wider world and was exposed to more cultures. I have many challenging things to do every day. Now I continue my education, and I feel better and better. I don’t miss her in the same way, but I still think about her because she pushed me to move and get a new life.

– Yibin Chen

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant